It is the best week of the year.

I find it hard to imagine how a real sporting fan cannot just love the Cheltenham Festival.

If you're going, it's a chance to don the finest clothes, sup the finest drink and throw away bundles of money.

And if like most people you just want to experience the roar of the crowd on TV, it's still an opportunity to do the latter.

I am a big horse racing fan and this is as good as it gets.

The Grand National is a lottery, the Derby is a quick sprint and it's over - this is a week of bliss.

The finest horses, the finest jockeys, the finest viewing - it simply cannot be missed.

I was asked for some tips the other day. And this year presents more chances than most to win some money.

There are four red-hot favourties, so my suggestion is to put them in a lucky 15 - a bet that involves four horses and 15 bets in singles, doubles, trebles and an accumalator.

Master Minded is the week's banker in the Queen Mother Chase on Wednesday. The odds are rubbish - 1-3 - but a winner is a winner and unless something disastrous happens, it will win.

Throw in Binocular (13-8) in Tuesday's Champion Hurdle, Cousin Vinny in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle on the same day (5-2) and Kasbah Bliss (11-10) in Thursday's RyanAir Chase, and you'll have a decent return.

One may not win, the others should.

As for the big one - the Gold Cup - I think if you can get 7-1 about Denman, they are huge odds for a horse that has had problems, but who if he returned to somewhere near his best, is guaranteed to finish in the first three.

If there is no blog from me next week, you know why - I'm either off to the Caribbean, or hiding!